Proteas pulverise India
9 Feb 2010
Dale Steyn claimed 10 wickets in the match as South Africa smashed India by an innings and six runs in Nagpur.
The visitors required eight wickets on the fourth day and although their ground fielding was below-par at times after two full days in the field, for the most part the bowlers remained disciplined.
Steyn will rightfully take the plaudits for his first innings demolition job, but importantly for the South Africans Paul Harris played a holding role on a turning wicket. Harris was attacked by the England batsmen at home and didn’t have the answers, but was allowed to settle by the Indians in this Test, and he restored a degree of confidence after being dropped for The Wanderers encounter last month.
The left-arm spinner still struggled with his length, but went at two an over bowling his leg-stump line from over the wicket and also claimed the wickets of Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar – who scored his 46th Test century – and MS Dhoni.
At 209-6, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh provided some frustration with their 50-run partnerships with Wriddhiman Saha, but once Khan departed after a Jacques Kallis-bouncer, Steyn wrapped up the tail to end with match figures of 10-108.
This was Dhoni’s first Test loss as captain and while no victory in India should be scoffed at, the South Africans will realise the hosts were missing a number of top batsmen in Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman, and Rahul Dravid.
Singh and Dravid are likely to be ruled out for the second Test, but Laxman could return and his presence will provide the Indian middle order with greater experience and backbone as South Africa search for the series win that will see them go top of the ICC world rankings.
South Africa (1st innings) – 558-6 declared
Hashim Amla 253, Jacques Kallis 173, AB de Villiers 53, Zaheer Khan 3-96.
India (1st innings) – 233
Virender Sehwag 109, Subramaniam Badrinath 56, Dale Steyn 7-51
India (2nd innings) – 319
Sachin Tendulkar 100, Dale Steyn 3-57, Paul Harris 3-76
South Africa won by an innings and six runs
Click here for full scorecard.
182 Comments
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9 Feb 2010, 15:20 pm
@Jinx:
take a guess…..
9 Feb 2010, 15:22 pm
@rangerman:
Erm…erm…ah…Fourie Du Preez perhaps? Or is it…er…49-0 perhaps?
9 Feb 2010, 15:23 pm
@Jinx: 96 – Jinx Amla was superb. No problems with him getting mom. A Durbs boy and all
They both were outstanding. Pleased we have them in our team.
Now need to get em in the next test and reclaim our number one spot. Hoping.
9 Feb 2010, 15:25 pm
@Jinx: something about a world cup maybe?
some people just cant believe their eyes when south african teams do well.
they should manage their expectations better.
9 Feb 2010, 15:25 pm
@Puma:
I’m sure he wants to do it all over at Eden Gardens. Good man.
9 Feb 2010, 15:27 pm
@rangerman:
God bless him.
9 Feb 2010, 15:28 pm
@Jinx: There was probably only a whisker in it !!
I remember “Lucky Packets” – never actually realised I had been exposed to such a “game of chance” at such a young age !!
9 Feb 2010, 15:30 pm
@Eight Ace:
9 Feb 2010, 15:32 pm
Must go…take it easy all…
9 Feb 2010, 15:38 pm
@Eight Ace:
Using that same logic, we have contributions in this test as follows:
1. HM Amla 253
2. JH Kallis 203
3. DW Steyn 200
4. PL Harris 90
5. MV Boucher 69
6. AB de Villiers 63
7. WD Parnell 60
8. M Morkel 50
9. JP Duminy 19
10. GC Smith 16
11. AG Prince 10
9 Feb 2010, 15:42 pm
@Jinx: 105 – Hope so Jinx.
109 – Cheers Jinx.
9 Feb 2010, 20:33 pm
“Harris was attacked by the England batsmen at home and didn’t have the answers…”
Here’s another idiot damning Harris with faint praise and omitting what won’t suit a weak argument.
The real facts? In the second test against England, Harris got the only fifer AND he returned the most economical bowling figures of all the Protea bowlers. So much for being “attacked” by the England batsmen!
The only thing attacking Harris are spin-ignorant critics, one of whom is actually paid for writing his tripe on this site.
9 Feb 2010, 23:02 pm
Hey, well done boys. Great stuff!
10 Feb 2010, 07:26 am
Tackler
That was one test match where he did well. What about the other three??
Your defense of Harris is admirable but we all know he will never ever be a world class spinner…
10 Feb 2010, 09:45 am
Getting a fifer is like scoring a century. You don’t score it in every test. But in the first test Harris was by far the most economical bowler but he was underbowled by Smith. In the second test he got a fifer. He was mysteriously dropped for the third. So, now he’s back in. He is given what all spinners need: a good, long spell with the ball. And he bottles up the Indian top order big hitters, frustrating them into rashness. Then he claims three wickets, including the majestic in-form Tendulkar and skipper Dhoni (twice).
That’s world-class bowling, for sure. But you’d need to know a bit about real cricket to appreciate that. Pyjama fans are just too stupid to get it. They’re too ignorant to realise it.
10 Feb 2010, 14:37 pm
Tackler’s love affair with Harris continues…
10 Feb 2010, 17:58 pm
Harris now ranked 9th in the world for test bowlers.
10 Feb 2010, 17:59 pm
Steyn way out in front at no.1 and Morkel at 7.
10 Feb 2010, 18:00 pm
Batsmen
Kallis 4
Smith 5
Amla 10
10 Feb 2010, 18:04 pm
@TheTackler: Tackler, you were a spinner in your youth weren’t you?
10 Feb 2010, 20:21 pm
A great SA and WP slow left arm spinner was Graeme Chevalier. Sadly he only played 1 test vs Bill Lawry’s Oz at Newlands in 1970. SA test isolation killed him in those dark years.
10 Feb 2010, 21:09 pm
Chev was excellent, and so too Denys Hobson. But you’d go far to look past Hugh Tayfield and (especially) Atholl McKinnon. And they all did well when trusted with long spells, not the five or six over short bursts captains routinely give to the quickies.
11 Feb 2010, 00:37 am
Atholl McKinnon died destitute and alone at 51 in 1983. No one knew he was gone. Very sad. You can play for your country etc but there’s no guarantee that people will rally around you in your time of need.
“Toey” Tayfield was before my time but his record is the best of all SA spinners. He would always kiss the badge on his cap before handing it to the umpire at the start of every over. And of course always tapping his right foot toes into the ground before he started his off spinner run up.
Jackie Du Preez, the leggie and Kelly Seymour the right arm orthodox off spinner were bowlers I fondly remember.
11 Feb 2010, 04:55 am
Well done Capt Limelight and the boys. Shove it up those who always whining – on this forum too.
12 Feb 2010, 03:23 am
Harris says the big secret for a bowler against India’s daunting batting line-up is patience.
“They all have big batting egos when it comes to the overseas spin-bowlers. If you can keep them quiet for a while, they will definitely try to take you on,” he said.
“They won’t knock the ball out of the way with their pads for six consecutive overs. They may do it for five overs, but after that they will take the risk. And they all did.”
Harris had an average series against England (rubbish, Altus Momberg!He got the only fifer and never conceded on average more than 4 runs an over) and there was a lot of speculation prior to the first Test that Johan Botha would take his place in the Test team. However, he underlined his value.
But Harris was not out to prove anyone wrong.
“I think I wanted to prove something to myself. As a South African spinner you are always in the spotlight. I took five wickets in an innings in the Centurion Test against England, but people demanded my head two Tests later. I thought it was unfair,” he said.
(There’s the word from the man himself. I concur fully with Harris’s spot-on self-assessment.)
12 Feb 2010, 10:45 am
@TheTackler:
“He got the only fifer and never conceded on average more than 4 runs an over”
Let me direct you to the first innings of the test in Cape Town. Harris bowled 9 overs for 39 runs without taking a wicket. My maths says that’s an ave of 4.33 runs.
Your statement is thus wrong.
12 Feb 2010, 10:47 am
In any case, since when is it OK for a spinner, doing a holding job, to be satisfied if he goes for less than four rpo? Going for less or somewhere around 2 rpo is more like it, I would think.
12 Feb 2010, 11:36 am
He DOES turn in figures of around 2rpo as a rule. Especially if he gets a decently long spell and his skipper doesn’t panic and pull him off too soon. 9 overs in an innings is WAY too short for a spinner. Over 30 is about right. You’ll want to bowl about 15 in just one spell.
12 Feb 2010, 12:14 pm
@TheTackler:
Unfortunately not, Mr Tackler.
I think you will find that he returns figures of around 3rpo as a RULE and that 2rpo is the EXCEPTION in his career so far. In Durban against England for example, he bowled 38 overs and conceded more than 3.8rpo.
His figures against India the other day is what is expected of him more regularly in order for him to keep his place on the long term. And then I’m not refering to the 3 wickets he took but to his rpo.
I get your point on him bowling long spells in order for him to be able to achieve that. But, even when he was allowed to bowl more than 30 overs in an innings, he could turn in an economy rate of around 2rpo on only a few occasions. In Durban against England for example, he bowled 38 overs and conceded more than 3.8rpo.
BTW, on the other thread you said that Stephen Jefferies took ten wickets in an innings in a “test” match. That was for WP against OVS in a CC match.
12 Feb 2010, 12:35 pm
@nama1: Rubbish.
His career econ is 2.73 and he is well below 3 the vast majority of the time
12 Feb 2010, 12:55 pm
Nothing wrong with 2.73 — few bowlers top that.
12 Feb 2010, 12:58 pm
@WP_:
What is rubbish?
If he is well below 3rpo the vast majority of times, it follows that his average will also be well below 3rpo.
I don’t know about you but my definition of “well below 3rpo” would be anything less than 2.5rpo. According to you his career ave is 2.73rpo. That does not fit in with my view of well below 3rpo.
I know you are not one for stats, but I would urge you to look up Harris’ stats innings by innings where you will find that he returns figures of around 3rpo, in other words between 2.8rpo & 3.2rpo the vast majority of time.
12 Feb 2010, 12:59 pm
Not too much wrong with 3.8rpo either. As a “bad day at the office” a 3.8 would be roughly what happens when the handle on the pencil-sharpener starts squeaking. There’s nobody jumping from the 11th floor window.
12 Feb 2010, 13:02 pm
His career avg at 2.7 IS very comfortably below 3rpo. More economical than almost any other bowler in town. And he’s ranked the 9th best test bowler on earth right now. He’s damned good. Admit it.
12 Feb 2010, 13:03 pm
@TheTackler:
I agree that 2.73 is nothing to frown upon.
But when you are being touted as somebody who’s main job in the team is to do a holding job, surely your rpo should be in the region of 2.2rpo.
12 Feb 2010, 13:08 pm
@TheTackler:
I’ve never said that he was not good. I’ve said on the other thread that his performance THIS SEASON, is below par. WP_ took exception to that statement.
12 Feb 2010, 13:10 pm
Dale Steyn the superhero is on 3.54rpo. So Harris’s “holding job” is more than adequate at 2.73 as he’s also regularly claiming vital top-order wickets along the way plus he’s also building frustration in the batsmen which drives them to play fatally-rash shots off his bowling partner at the other end.
It’s a mindgame he plays to perfection.
12 Feb 2010, 13:15 pm
His performance this season? A top-order fifer versus England at Centurion? Three, including Sachin, versus India — all withing the last six innings he’s played? And, throughout the whole season, returning economy unmatched by ANY other Protea bowler?
It’s shaping up as a great season for the spinner, I’d say. One of the best. Good enough to see him break into the world bowling top ten.
12 Feb 2010, 13:19 pm
@TheTackler: 133
I thought you said that if he bowls longer spells, ie more than 30 overs, it would bring down his rpo to around two.
At Centurion he bowled 37 overs at 3.32rpo in the first innings. Another bad day at the office I guess. Granted he also took 5wickets then.
12 Feb 2010, 13:19 pm
I guess in the end it comes down to what a captain wants from his spinner. I’d rather have a guy who is a touch on the expensensive side but takes wickets regularly than have guy who bowls a negative line all day waiting for batsmen to lose their cool.
A guy like Paul Adams or Stuart McGill would make my team anyday over a guy like Harris.
Harris is ok for now but as soon as we find an attacking spinner, we need to ditch him. I don’t think those Indian batsmen will make the same mistakes twice so unless Herra has a few tricks up his sleeve. It’s going to be a long, hot day under the skies of Kolkata.
12 Feb 2010, 13:21 pm
Yoh my spelling and grammar was **** in that post….sorry!
12 Feb 2010, 13:47 pm
132 nama
2.73 is well below 3. Be quiet mini cricketer. Go learn about the game rather
12 Feb 2010, 14:00 pm
TheTackler
Dont bother debating the finer points of the game with nama as he simply does not know what he is talking about.
He’s a know-it-all who is sadly ignorant about a game he couldnt play. After the age of 9 that is
12 Feb 2010, 14:04 pm
@TheTackler: 137
So now you compare Harris’ economy rate to that of Steyn. Come now Tackler, you know they have different tasks within the team.
I can see GS telling Steyn: “Go get me a wicket. Don’t worry too much if they score runs of your bowling. Just get me a wicket” To Harris he would say,”I want you to keep it tight this end. Don’t give them any free hits. Don’t worry if you don’t get a wicket. As long as they don’t score too many runs of your bowling, I’ll be satisfied”
Now how can you compare the economy rate per over of two bowlers such as that.
Let me give you another comparison:
Harris takes a wicket after every 74th ball that he bowls. Steyn on the other hand takes one every 43rd ball. Now if I have Steyn in my team, even if he goes at 5rpo, it would still be OK as long as he can give me a wicket after every 6 overs that he bowls.
12 Feb 2010, 15:28 pm
@nama1: You are such a racist. I’ve been reading on this site for a while without posting.
But you always seem to have praise for the coloured player and distain for the white player, in most cases.
Now you’re having a go at Harris for no apparent reason.
Get a life…
Who are you anyway? You’re probably some loser coloured okie with a cliche coloured name like Ashwell or Kerswell or Vergil.
Take off the tinted glasses!
12 Feb 2010, 17:19 pm
@Younis:
From Rashied to Younis now, I see.
You also have problems reading, it seems.
12 Feb 2010, 17:23 pm
i’m so not younis … must be my cousin or a tjommy van my
12 Feb 2010, 17:26 pm
i’m not a big fan of Harris myself… but the guy is taking wickets …
12 Feb 2010, 17:28 pm
@TheTackler: 134
Also, Paul Adams’ career rpo rate was 2.98. He was always regarded as being a bit on the expensive side for a spinner and rightly so. But he was at least an attacking spinner unlike Harris whose rpo is not much less although he is a “holding” spinner.
Something don’t add up here.
12 Feb 2010, 17:31 pm
60% of P Adams wickets was from long hops
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